Detox
by Scardie Kat
Summary: following Office Observations, here's another look into the lives of Claire and Spencer as they work together through one of their toughest obstacles; getting clean. Reid/OC
1. Chapter 1

Okay I've had this idea floating around in my head for so long now. Finally it's written out and a lot longer than the one shot I was planning. This loosely follows my other one shot Office Observations, again following the partnership of Reid and my oc Claire. I hope everyone enjoys this as much as they liked that one.

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It was a calculated move, one that could potentially end with them both hurt or at least her. Reid slid further down on the couch, holding onto her as she lay on top of him. They both needed sleep and he didn't have the heart to wake her.

Sitting in his living room, he was overwhelmed by the smell of her. For the last two weeks, she had lived here with him. It would probably take another month for the apartment to return to normal. Her scent would linger, clothing would be left behind, and he knew it would take a while for him to correct everything she'd done to his bookshelves.

In a way, he didn't want their time together to end. It had been the longest relationship he'd ever had, even though it was the furthest thing from what they were doing. He held onto her tighter not wanting to let her go.

"You need to get some sleep too." She whispered, turning slightly in order to look into his eyes. "That big brain of yours won't work right on zero sleep."

"I'm fine, go back to sleep."

"You know nothing's going to happen to you with me here." She smiled softly, running her hand up his cheek. She put her forehead against his, closing her eyes. "I've got you."

"This doesn't have to end, you know." He pulled her closer into his chest. "You could stay."

"I wish I could, but you know we can't do that. I can't do that." She bit her lip to stop the quivering. The look in his eyes hurt her more than anything she'd ever experienced before. "Please don't look at me like that Spence." She ran her thumb over his cheek as her fingers tangled in his hair.

"No, I know. It was stupid to ask. I just like having you around."

"Who says I'm going anywhere?"

"It won't be like this. We can't have this again."

"Maybe you're right, but let's just enjoy it while we can." She leaned up and chastely kissed his forehead before snuggling into his chest. A tear escaped her lashes as she felt his hand curl around the exposed skin at her hip, securing her to him.

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Claire pounded on the door to Reid's apartment. She let all her frustration out on the piece of wood before he opened. There were times when work was demanding, but what Gideon had just asked her was crossing a line. Again her fist connected with the door.

"What?" Reid's voice called from inside.

"Open up, Reid. I'm not going anywhere until you let me in."

She flinched back as the door was pulled harshly open. "What, Claire? Why are you here?"

"Playing the messenger, Gideon's putting you on sick leave indefinitely, or until you can prove you're off whatever it is that's got you so strung out."

"I…I don't know," he faltered. Claire took this opportunity to push her way through the door.

"You're a terrible liar. That's why I can beat you at poker, you have a slight twitch in the corner of your eye."

"Why send you? He could've brought this over himself." He fingered the white envelope.

"Let's look at it this way, he's your superior. If he came to you about the drugs, then he'd be liable to tell Strauss or someone higher. I'm a safer bet."

"Well, thanks. I can handle it." He moved back to the door.

"Not a chance, smarty pants." She let the duffle bag fall off her shoulders. "I drew the short straw and get to be the one that helps you. So give me the bottles, all of them.

"I don't need your help, Claire." He said still holding the door open for her to take the hint.

"What part of your not getting rid of me, don't you understand?" Claire took an unmoving stance at the entrance of his kitchen. "You're going to have a tough couple of days ahead of you. Someone should be here with you."

"You're going to stay here with me? That's not exactly comforting news, Claire."

"I'll give you five minutes to get all the bottles for I'll tear this place apart looking for them." Claire leveled her gaze at her fellow agent.

Reid had seen this look dozens of times; she used it on suspects or anyone that tried to make her feel inferior. If he knew anything about the woman in front of him, it was that she took nobody's crap. He'd always admired her for that. Through their competitive nature, there was also admiration. In those moments of peace, he could see them being friends.

"Three minutes, Spencer, or I _will_ start opening walls."

"Okay, give me a minute." He left her at the entrance. In a matter of minutes he was back with a small handful of bottles.

"This is it?" She asked, trying to watch for his tell.

"What are you going to do with them?" He lined them up carefully in front of her, not meeting her gaze.

"I've got people who know people. Let me worry about disposal. I'll bring back a pizza and maybe some beers."

"You always said pizza and beer was the best way to get over a case." He smiled weakly at her.

"I won't be long."

As soon as the latch clicked, he moved back into the living room. Falling heavily on the couch Reid allowed his last hit to take effect. Claire would be gone for at least an hour. She would take the medication to the guy she knew at the ER, flirt- or catch up as she called it, and then head across town to the only place that had the New York style pizza she likes. This gave him plenty of time to relax one last time, allows his brain to shut off and have peace for a little while. He knew the moment Claire got back she'd watch him like a hawk.

Even though they were getting along better, within the last week hostility had crept back into their relationship. Reid wanted to take full responsibility, but he couldn't help but step up whenever Claire decided to antagonize him. It was how they worked, egging each other on to do more, be better. It wasn't surprising when he finally snapped. There was no more banter, instead every word she said was met with a quick dismissal. She hardly said a full sentence to him before showing up on his doorstep.

Two weeks ago he thought she could be one of his closest friends. He wanted to weigh his options, the prospect of a close friend, or the enjoyment of a few hours of peace. Today he would go with peace.

"Hey, I got pizza and a few movies." Claire announced as she came through the door.

"Great," Reid drew out the word as she took a seat on the opposite side of the couch.

"I'm starving, so eat what you want, although you should probably take it easy."

"And why's that?" He barely glanced at her as he took a slice.

"When was the last time you used?"

"I can't remember."

"Terrible liar," she rolled her eyes. "Please make this easier on both of us."

He watched her, the hurt and worry in her eyes. Never before had he seen her look at him that way. "Just before you left."

"I figured, tonight's not going to be fun. Eat light and drink water."

"Withdrawal," he sighed. Before she showed up he'd already felt the slight tremors in his limbs. "I can take care of myself, Claire."

"Really, that's what you think?" She eyed him carefully. "Fine, but I'm not leaving. I'll stay on the couch."

The rest of the night was cold. Claire did as she said, keeping to herself on the corner of the couch. Reid tried to keep a normal routine, but it was hard with the presence of his partner. Eventually, he turned in, closing the door to get some separation between the two. But even then, he couldn't sleep knowing she was curled up on his couch didn't ease his mind.

In the middle of the night, Reid tried his hardest to stay quiet. The last thing he wanted was to wake Claire. He clung to the side of the toilet bowl as the contents of his stomach were expelled. Even after he knew everything was gone he continued to heave. It wasn't until he slumped against the bathtub that he saw Claire in the doorway. Again he noticed how she looked at him with hurt eyes. He wanted to ask her why.

"I'll bring you some water." She spoke barely above a whisper. When he heard the water running, he slammed the door and locked it. His mind raced through a solution. There was an easier way to do this. With trembling hands he stood with the support of the sink.

"Reid, open up." Claire's voice called through the door. "Let me help."

Various things fell from the cabinet before he took the small bottle in his hands. Again he was on the cold tiles, staring at the clear liquid. Maybe he could just take smaller amounts, ease himself off slowly. Holding the needle, he tried to steady his hand enough to get to a vein. He cursed loudly as he missed.

"Spencer, open the door." Claire yelled as she pounded a fist against the door. She turned the knob, but still couldn't get in. He wondered how long it would take her before she tried to use her gun. It took all his will power to ignore her and try again with the needle. Another miss and blood slowly spilled down his arm. A loud bang and Claire stumbled through the door.

"Jesus, Spencer." She reached for the bottle, smashing it in the tub and taking the syringe.

"I said I could handle it myself." He sighed.

"This is handling it? How many more do you have?" She screamed down at him.

"That was it," he said quietly. Reaching up for a towel his arm barely extended up the wall.

"Lying," she yelled again. "I'm tired of you lying to me. You're my partner, Reid, we're supposed to trust each other."

With that she dropped the towel on him and moved back through the apartment. Less than a minute later he heard a loud crash from the living room. He knew this is what she'd do once she saw he had another hidden. On unsteady legs Spencer made his way into the bedroom. Through the doorway he could see the mounds of books scattered on the living room floor. He could only imagine what his kitchen looked like.

In a flurry of wild hair and flailing arms she was back in the bedroom. Without shame she went through every drawer throwing its contents. It only took her a few minutes to move back into the bathroom. Reid speculated that this was the reason behind Gideon choosing Claire to babysit him, her ability to thoroughly clear a situation. It would no doubt take him days to get the apartment back to the way it was. All he needed was for her to leave.

"Are you finished?" He asked as he saw her stand in front of the mirror.

"Yeah," her voice was small, but she moved to stand straighter with confidence. "I found two more. Now would be the best time to tell me if I missed one."

"That's it I swear."

Again sad eyes stared into his.

"Let me look at your arm." Claire's small hand held his arm delicately as she peeled the soiled towel away from the holes. "Can you walk?"

With a nod, Reid silently followed her into the bathroom. It was then that he noticed the tub was cleaned out. She let him sit on the edge as she cleaned his self-inflicted wounds. After her destruction to his apartment, her gentle care for him was a bit mind-boggling. He couldn't look at her as she ran a wash cloth down his arm inducing goose bumps across his skin. If she noticed, she kept it to herself.

"Do you still feel sick?" She asked.

"A little but there's nothing left to throw up, I should probably just try to sleep."

"You feel a bit warm, but that's a normal side effect. The shaking is only going to get worse, so is the pain." She took a bottle out of the cabinet. "Take two of these, and drink this glass. It should help for a little while."

"Thanks," he said as she moved to the door. "And Claire thanks for stopping me. I'm sorry I lied."

"Just don't let it happen again." For the first time Claire smiled at him. It was probably the first real smile he'd seen from her in weeks.

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The sun tried to make its way through the blinds in Reid's room, but the beams barely made a dent in the darkness he laid in. He tried to stay curled as tightly as possible around himself. The pain wasn't too bad. A couple more hours and he knew the worst of it would be over. Every thirty minutes he noticed Claire peak in at him from over the couch. Other than that the two stayed to themselves.

"Claire," Reid tried to call out to her as he moved from the bed. She came in a he crawled into the bathroom.

"Hey, let me help." She reached out for him.

"I need something for the pain."

Nodding she stood in front of the cabinet. Claire took the bottle out and left to get a glass of water. Reid never thought that he'd rely so heavily on someone. Claire had been his partner for years, but he never needed her like he did now. The relief he felt as she re-entered the room washed over him with ease. She knelt down beside him, pouring the pills into his hand. He looked up at her with unsure eyes.

"That's all I can give you." Her voice was small. "I'm sorry, they'll have to work."

"These won't even help with the headaches."

"I can't give you anything stronger. Take these and lay down." She handed him the glass of water.

Claire stayed in the bathroom with him as he spent most of the morning alternating between painful cried and dry gags. There wasn't anything she could do besides rub his back soothingly. Closer to the afternoon, Claire was slipping in and out of sleep. Reid tried to focus on her instead of the pain. She seemed so much younger and peaceful in sleep. He couldn't stop his hand from reaching out and tucking her hair behind her ear.

"What's wrong?" She stirred awake. "Spence?"

"You fell asleep."

"I'm sorry, do you need something?" She repositioned herself against the wall.

"I think I'd feel better in bed." He began getting off the floor. "And you need sleep."

"Let me help you." She wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they moved into the other room.

Compared to the cold tile of the bathroom floor, Reid enjoyed the heat radiating off Claire. He was sad as she let him down on the edge of the bed. Reluctantly, he let his arm leave her. The cool sheets did nothing to comfort him. Although he felt the sweat coating his body, he needed warmth. He couldn't form the words to make her stay; he just hoped he could convey it in his eyes.

Claire gave him one last look before walking out the door. He tried not to let the disappointment get to him. They weren't in tune with each other anymore. He couldn't expect her to still know him like before. Carefully he moved further on the bed, trying to avoid the pain his body was in.

"Hey, where are you going?" Claire called as she came back with a damp cloth. "Lay back, this should help."

Claire sat on the edge of his bed, gently placing the cloth on his forehead. "Would you mind…" He tried to ask, but she covered his mouth.

"It would be even better if you could shut your mind off, but I'll take your mouth. Please stop talking."

Reid nodded his head, closing his eyes against the cool cloth under her hand. He heard her let out a long sigh before feeling the bed shift. Carefully he cracked an eye open to see Claire lying beside him. On her side, she had a hand on his head and the other holding her head up. She was close enough, and the last thing he wanted was to push her way.

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"We have another case, we just got back." Claire said into her phone. She glanced into the bedroom where Reid was still sleeping. "Hotch, you're sure you need me on this?"

"How's it going there?"

"He's sleeping, but I'm afraid if I leave now he won't make it through the day. Just give me two more days."

"We'll make do without the two of you, but be back by Wednesday. He needs to be able to be on his own."

"I know, it's just hard for me to leave him. Three days should be good. Thanks, Hotch."

Again her eyes landed on her sleeping partner. As quietly as possible she moved into the kitchen to pour another cup of coffee. Getting a glimpse of herself in the glass of the microwave she sighed. Two days without a goodnights sleep and shower was wearing her down. Gulping down her third cup of coffee in an hour, she pulled her hair up and set to work cleaning the living room.

It had been dramatic but called for. In her line of work, Claire knew how to get what she wanted from someone. Knowing them personally only made it easier. To say that she wasn't a little angry as well could be her biggest lie. Tearing apart his apartment made things easier. After the last couple of weeks they had together, she knew he was pushing her away and Claire didn't do well with being pushed.

It took her all afternoon, but she put the living room back together as best she could. Quietly, she took the clothes she threw around his bedroom and brought them out to be refolded or hung. Occasionally she would glance in on him, watching as he tried to hold onto sleep through the pain. Eventually he woke in the throes of painful cries. Claire nearly jumped over the couch to get to him. With a glass of water and a bottle of mild ibuprofen, she found herself again on the cold tiles. A few more hours with him and she was exhausted.

"Is there anything else you need?" Claire asked as she helped him into bed again.

"Did you clean?" His voice was raspy as he saw her turn to the bathroom.

"A little, I kept stepping on books." She smiled and placed a glass on his nightstand. "Night, Spence." She flicked the lights off and carefully moved to the couch for what little sleep it would offer.

Claire was woken by a loud crashing sound from further in the apartment. Nearly falling off the couch, she headed into Reid's room finding the bathroom door open.

"Reid," she called worried. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, just couldn't keep all the water down." He sighed, leaned over the toilet.

"I'm sorry, another day and you should be back to normal." She slid down next to him against the tub.

"How do you know all this? Why did Gideon send you?"

"Everyone has their secrets." She sighed.

"Claire, you've seen me puke my guts out and tore my apartment to shreds, I think we're passed the keeping secrets." He turned to look at her, brown eyes locking with her blue.

"I have an older brother, Mark, he's my dad's pride and joy. There was a time when he had a problem, heroin. He was addicted for five years off and on. I was there when he finally decided to get clean."

"How old were you?"

"Sixteen, my dad was a detective and someone needed to be home with Mark. I was there for him when he really needed me." She smiled sadly at him. "This is my area of expertise."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." He said, placing a hand on her knee. Hesitantly, she curled her fingers over it.

"No one did, not even Gideon." Again they locked eyes. "He asked if I'd check on you, and I volunteered to help. I need you back." She felt her eyes sting with tears. "As much as I hate you most of the time, you're my best friend."

"You're mine too, Claire." He said, leaning over to rest his head against her. As an afterthought he pressed his lips to her temple. A small laugh escaped her lips.

"You need to brush your teeth, and probably shower." She ran her hand through his hair. "It'll make you feel better."

"Okay, you should go back to sleep, take the bed if you want."

Alone in the room, Claire stared at the bed in front of her. Female instinct took over and she pulled the comforter and pillows off. He needed fresh sheets anyway she tried to tell herself. It didn't take her long to put together the bed again, and by that time she heard the water running, steam escaping through the small crack in the bathroom door. She curled up on the furthest side from the door and let her exhaustion take over. In the past three days she hadn't had a single moment to take a calming breath.


	2. Chapter 2

Claire woke up feeling wonderfully refreshed. She curled further into the warmth and softness of her pillow it was when she felt the sheets around her tighten did she finally crack an eye open. She was surprised to see Reid still sleeping peacefully, his arms wrapped tightly around her. A part of her wanted to stay there, feeling strangely safe, but she knew it was time for her to get up and finally get back to work.

"Spence," she whispered. "I need to get up."

Slowly he turned away from her. With a smile on her lips, she slipped out of the sheets and headed towards the bathroom. She showered quickly, enjoying the fact that the body wash she had to use smelled so much like him. It was strange how comfortable she was around him, around his things. She slipped out of the bathroom in one of his button down shirts, forgetting to bring her things in from the living room. Her wet hair stuck to the side of her face and neck as she tiptoed through the room trying not to wake her partner.

Once in the living room she slipped into her jeans and pulled out a shirt. She unbuttoned the top low enough to slip on a bra. Contemplating putting on another shirt, Claire decided that she was more comfortable surrounded by the scent of Reid than any restricting clothing she'd brought with her. Again she went back to cleaning, this time starting in the kitchen. The afternoon came and went, but she was still surprised that Reid needed her less and less throughout the day.

"I'm going to the store, picking up some food. Is there anything you need?" She asked as she slipped into the bedroom where he was still curled up on the bed.

"Is that my shirt?" He asked as he sat up slightly to get a better look at her.

"Maybe, are you going to be okay alone? I shouldn't be more than an hour." She leaned against the doorframe, trying her hardest to gauge his reaction.

"I'll be fine. Bring back some crackers."

It was strangely domestic, Claire walking up the stairs to his apartment with an overstuffed bag of groceries in her arms. She'd been dating since she was an early teenager, but never had she had such an intimate relationship with someone that didn't involve sex. Balancing the bag on her hip she tried to pull the keys out of her back pocket. A door opened down the hall and a woman smiled warmly at her. It was a strange feeling, becoming a fixture somewhere. She'd never really stayed anywhere long enough, but Reid had. It was his first apartment and throughout their years together, she'd been there more times than she could count.

"Hey, did you forget your key?" Reid asked as he pulled open the door, leaning heavily against it.

"Nope, just couldn't reach them." Again her eyes flicked to the woman walking down the stairs a soft smile on her face. Claire couldn't help the tug at her lips as she slipped passed Reid back into the apartment. "Guess you don't get many ladies over do you?"

"Not really, unless it's you or someone else from the team. Why do ask?" He followed her to the kitchen as she began to unpack the bag.

"It's nothing, want to help?" She asked as she held up a can.

Again the domesticity of the situation hit her quickly. For the briefest of moments, as Claire passed some produce over to him to put in the fridge, she wondered if she could do it. With her job, she never thought a normal relationship could happen, but maybe it was just the guy. They worked silently side by side, him a little slower than her. She could tell that he was still in pain, but he was trying to work through it. Finally, she slipped onto the couch with a bowl of soup in each hand as Spencer took a seat beside her.

"Thanks for this," he said as he slowly sipped at the liquid.

"Just take it easy. You're probably still going to be a little nauseous after putting something in your stomach."

They ate in silence, Claire occasionally glancing over to see if he was still feeling alright. She got up to clear the kitchen, keeping an eye on him as he moved to the bedroom. It was becoming all too apparent that she was probably going home tomorrow. He needed to learn to make it on his own and she needed to return to her own life. It was all too painful to think that returning back to their normal was going to destroy something new.

"Hey Reid," she called out as she moved through the apartment. A smile graced her lips as she caught him slip another shirt over his head. "Sorry, I was just wondering if you were okay. I'm heading to bed."

"You can sleep in here again." He hoped the pleading tone didn't catch her attention.

"No, I think the couch is calling my name. Besides, you're kind of a bed hog."

"What, no I'm not." He went on the defensive as he watched her break out in a smile. "You're the one that steals the covers and has artic feet."

"See, that there, we shouldn't know that about each other. That's a line that shouldn't be crossed between co-workers, even ones that are as close as we are." She moved away from the door, suddenly well too aware that she was still sheathed in his shirt. "If you're feeling up to it, I think I'm going to head home."

"You should probably get some more clothes." He said as he eyed his shirt as well.

"Spence, you know that's not what I meant." She backed out of the room, closing the door between them as she headed for the couch. She shed her jeans, but the shirt stayed on as she curled onto the sofa.

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"I have to go into the office today." Claire said as she poured coffee into a mug to take with her. Her bag was already sitting by the door; it was just the leaving part that was becoming difficult. Reid was sitting on the couch, an untouched book beside him. He was refusing to look at her.

"Call me if you need anything. Anytime, I'm always here."

"Except when you're not, here I mean. You won't always be here." He said quietly from the couch.

"Hey," her voice was soft as she leaned over the back of the couch, wrapping her arms around his chest. "I am always going to be here for you. What happened in Georgia, with Tobias was not mine or your fault. We were separated, and I promise you that will never happen again."

She kissed his head and then cheek before pulling away. "Statistically, there's no way of knowing if we will be separated at any given time. We are partners, but that doesn't mean that we will always be together in the field."

"Statistically, I don't give a shit. You and me against the world, Dr. Reid."

That was the last thing she said before she walked out of the door. He couldn't help the thought that she may never walk back through it because of the decisions he'd made lately. Curling back on the couch, he held the pillow she'd slept on the night before and breathed in the scent she'd left behind. He was thankful for the sleep that took over, finally silencing the screaming pain throughout his body and the racing thoughts in his mind.

It was no more than a handful of hours later when Claire came stumbling through the door with an overstuffed duffle bag and plastic bags of Chinese in her hands. Reid shot up from the cushions to watch her come to a halt in the doorway.

"I hope you're hungry." She smiled as she dropped the duffle bag and moved towards the couch with the take-out food.

The two sat together silently, both trying to focus more on the food in front of them than the fact that Claire was back in his living room. He knew that she'd been thinking about a professional line that both swore would never get crossed, but it seemed that with each passing day that line got blurrier and blurrier. They kept a safe distance between each other, never getting close enough to accidentally brush against the other. Soon enough it was time to call it a night.

Spencer woke to the sound of a muffled cry followed by a low curse. He slipped out of his bed and headed for the sound coming from his kitchen. Claire was leaning against the counter, hopping on one foot as she tried to suppress the pain coming from her toes. She didn't even realize he'd come in until he was placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Jesus, Spence." She breathed as she jumped away from his touch. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"Yeah, are you okay?" He tried to move closer to her, but she continued to sidestep him. "What are you doing up?"

"I got hungry. I know it's a bad habit, but there's something about cold lo mein at midnight that I absolutely love." She sighed as she hobbled over to the fridge. Pulling out the carton, Claire popped the lid open and took a long noodle between her fingers. Spencer tried not to laugh as he watched her slurp the strand into her mouth.

"Is there enough to share?" He asked as he hopped onto the counter. Claire slipped up next him, placing the carton between them.

"You know that we could get in real trouble for this?" She began as she watched him pull out noodles. "I'll stay as long as you need me here, but it needs to stay our secret."

"Fraternization between agents…" he spoke through a mouth full of lo mein.

"Yeah, even if it's not a relationship we could get into a lot of trouble for living together. But I can't leave until I know you're not going to relapse. I guess if we're keeping that a secret then it should be easy to keep this too."

Claire went back to work like nothing happened, glad that they weren't sent on a case right away. She kept Gideon in the loop whenever he asked, but she never sought him out to offer up any information. Through the years, she'd learned to trust the man, but she knew that he still didn't think she belonged on the team.

"Walsh, can I talk to you in my office?" Gideon called as she was beginning to leave for the day. She let a sigh leave her lips as she trudged up the steps.

"Yes, sir?" She waited by the door hoping it wasn't going to take long.

"Take a seat, and stop with the sir." He said as he waited for her to come into the office. "You're still taking care of Spencer?"

"He's my partner, I want to make sure he's fully recovered before he's back to covering my ass."

"Make sure you don't cross that line, Walsh. He's already in enough trouble, don't push him too far." Claire nodded before getting up. "You have three days."

"If that's all sir, I have a meeting to get to." She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, but stops at the door. "You're not the only one that cares about him, Gideon."

She walked to the apartment building, stopping briefly as she opened the building door. For the first time she didn't run up the stairs to his apartment. Slipping the key into the lock she stopped for a moment to realize how comfortable they were. The words Gideon had said were ringing in her head. She hated how easily he seemed to be able to read them. If she crossed this line, she knew he'd throw her off the team without a moment's hesitation. A part of her wondered if it would be worth it. The ease that came with being in Reid's life was almost too nice to pass up.

"Hey, I thought I heard you." Spencer said as he pulled the door open. The keys jingle as they hit against the solid door. "What took you so long?"

"I got held up at the office, are you ready to go?" She dropped her bag and moved through the apartment to change quickly. He followed her, not realizing what was happening until she was pulling her shirt over her head to expose her back. She changed into a loose white t-shirt before stripping out of her trousers. It wasn't until she was looking around for her jeans, that she realized he was watching her from the door. "I put them in the second drawer." He finally said.

"I have a drawer?" She whispered as she pulled the jeans out and slipped them on. "Come on, let's go. We're already late."

She pulled into the parking lot and immediately glanced in his direction. With sympathetic eyes she slid out of the car waiting for him to follow her. As he came around the SUV, she reached out for his hand. He took it, holding on tighter than she had ever felt him hold her before. She led them into the building, but it was his decision on where to sit in the room. It was a beautiful church and she couldn't help but close her eyes for a moment and send a silent prayer. She needed him to get better.

They sat and listened as others got up to speak about their addictions. She knew that he wouldn't get up and talk tonight, or ever, but she wanted him to know that there were others out there going through the same thing he was. He reached for her hand again, threading his fingers through hers. She sent him a small smile as she leaned a little closer and her hand came to rest above his knee giving it a squeeze before turning her attention back to the speaker.

"This your first time?" A voice came from behind Spencer as he grabbed a bottle of water. "I haven't seen you around before."

"Yeah, my…uh," he motioned to where Claire was talking to another man not far from them.

"She seems like a good one. If she's with you now, count yourself lucky, most don't stay around for the hard part."

"I'm lucky to have her, I know."

"Are you ready to go?" Claire asked as she came up to the two men. She smiled as she slid beside Spencer and he grasped her hand once more as he led her out of the building.

That night she couldn't turn her brain off as she lay in his bed. One arm resting behind her head as the other was along her stomach. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the dresser sitting opposite the bed. The body beside her was still, but she paid little mind to him. She shifted slightly to see that he was already looking at her. He turned to his side, pressing his body into her side.

"Thanks for coming with me tonight." He whispered in the darkness.

"Like I said, I'm here." Again her eyes returned to the dresser. "You put my things away, a drawer and a shelf in the bathroom, why?"

"I thought it would be better than you living out of your suitcase. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Spence. Thank you." She turned over as well, giving him her back. It surprised her when she felt him pull her into his chest. She couldn't help but stiffen against him. Again Gideon's words were mocking her. _Make sure you don't cross that line, Walsh._

"I can't sleep. I'm going to work on some paperwork for a while." She said as she pushed her way out of his arms.

"Claire," she stopped at the door.

"I'll be back. Get some sleep."

CMcmCMcm

The next day they were pulled away on a case. It was their first one without him and the entire flight didn't feel the same without his statistical ramblings. Claire tried to stay as focused as she could, but it was difficult given the circumstances. She didn't know where she fit in without Reid next to her.

Hotch paired her with Prentiss, the two still getting to know each other. The women were cautious around each other at first but all of that melted away quickly. Especially after Georgia, Emily seemed particularly interest in how her and Reid worked together. Claire would always be grateful for the time Emily spent by her side as they waited for Reid to be discharged from the hospital.

Thankfully the case didn't take long, and they were home within a few days. Claire hated the fact that she couldn't wait to walk into Spencer's apartment and fall asleep in his big bed. That wasn't her home, but it felt more like it than anywhere else she'd lived in the last five years.

"Hey pretty girl, you going out with us tonight?" Morgan asked just before the jet landed back in Virginia.

"I think I'm just heading home." She said as she gathered her bags.

"Did you want a ride?" J.J. asked as they were exiting the jet. For a moment Claire faltered. The two lived close, on the way to J.J's apartment, but that wasn't the home she was heading to.

"No I think I can make it back on my own."

"It's late, you should let J.J. drive you. Taking the metro isn't safe at night." Gideon said as he walked behind the two. Claire wanted to protest, but she knew what the man was trying to tell her.

That night as she lay in her too big bed, in her too big apartment, Claire couldn't help but think about finding another place. Her lease would be up soon. After lying awake in bed for an hour and surfing the web for apartments for another two, she was packing another back and walking out the door. It wasn't until she was silently slipping into his apartment that she knew Gideon was right, she'd already jumped over that line.

Toeing off her shoes and shedding her clothes, she slipped into one of his Cal-Tech shirts before pulling back the covers. He barely stirred as she moved onto the mattress. It was almost instantaneous, his arms wrapped around her as she was beginning to succumb to sleep. They slept soundly, she curled into his body easily.

The next morning she woke up warm and comfortable. Her eyes cracked open at the morning sun peeking through the curtains. She shifted slightly, feeling a heavy weight on her chest. It was then that she realized Reid was half on top of her, the shirt she put on the night before had ridden up through the night and his hand rested on top of her stomach. She enjoyed the heat radiating off of him and snuggled deeper into the sheets.

"When did you get in?" He asked with a husky, sleepy voice.

"Late, I went home first, but I couldn't sleep." Her hand moved on its own and reached up to push the hair out of his face. "I missed you, thought about calling but I didn't want to be that girl."

"What girl?"

"The one that has to check in all the time just to make sure you're alright, missing me."

"I've never had that girl." He said matter-of-factly. She swallowed thickly as she felt him move further on top of her, letting his waist fall in perfect alignment between her hips. "I did miss you."

Her arms slid up his chest and rested around his shoulders. His legs tangled with hers as she moved in order to let him lay comfortably between hers. It was the most sexual position either had been in, in far too long. Claire avoided his gaze, trying to focus on anything that wasn't the man on top of her.

"Gideon would kill us both if he knew what we were doing right now." She said, causing him to sigh and drop his head to her shoulder. Her hand found his hair, threading her fingers through the messy length.

"I hate that he's what comes into your mind right now." His voice rumbled against her chest.

"Well, that's going to be amazing compared to what I have coming next." She turned so that her lips were brushing against the side of his face. "Have you ever done this before? I mean, all of this."

Reid lifted up on his hands above her, this drew her attention to his face. The intensity in his eyes stopped her breath for a moment. He leaned down slowly and pressee his lips to hers. If the kiss wasn't enough, the fact that the hand on her stomach slipped further up her shirt and came into contact with her breast, caused her to sigh into his mouth.

"No," she said when he broke the kiss. "Reid, stop." She pushed against him, trying to find some distance.

"I'm sorry, I thought…"

"I know, and I want to. God, I really want to, but we can't do this. There's a line we can't cross."

With that he rolled off of her, staring at the ceiling above them. Claire shut her eyes tightly in order to stop the tears that were threatening to spill over her lashes. She reached between them and threaded their fingers together. Glancing over to him, she leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. She felt the tears slip down her cheeks. He gave her hand a squeeze.

"I'm going to take a shower." She said sliding out of the bed. "A cold one."

"In a minute, I'm going to clean up. Get all of your things together." He sighed, as he watched her make her way to the bathroom. "I figure you want to go home today."

"I was thinking the same thing." He heard the shower come on, but her head popped out of the door once more. "By the way, I can't believe you just went to second." She smiled as she threw his shirt back into the room.

The afternoon went on normally. They kept their distance and regained their playful banter. Reid ran around trying to restore his apartment to the way it was before she invaded nearly two weeks ago. Claire stayed in the bedroom, repacking her things as quickly as she could. A part of her knew she'd leave things behind, but it didn't matter at the moment. They had lunch, went grocery shopping again and later that night, Claire went with him to another meeting before they settled in for a night of pizza and movies.

"I called Gideon, he said I could come back next week." Spencer said as he wrapped an arm around Claire.

"Good, no one will fight we with me like you. Morgan cries." She smiled as she relaxed against his body. They both took comfort in the fact that the other was there, knowing full well that it would most likely be the last time they were able to hold each other like this. Claire let sleep claim her, she hated how easily it came when he held her closely. The last thing she wanted to do was leave the safety of this apartment and the small world that they'd built together.

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Well that's all folks... I'm a little disappointed that I haven't gotten any reviews on this, but then again it has been years since I've written anything in this fandom and the material is a little old (I'm still trying to catch up on the last season). Anyway I hope everyone enjoyed it. SK


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